In Search of Love
by MyCurrentObsession
Summary: And to think, all that had happened between them was just because some shirtless boy had set them up together. Lovestruck Man/Viera oneshot. Gift for Blue3.


AN- Okay, so I was chatting with my friend Blue3, and the topic of side quests came up. We ended up talking about the Lovestruck Man/Viera side quest, and how fun it was. Somehow, we got it into our heads to write something about them. So here is my contribution to any fans of Lovestruck Man/Viera. There are also hints of implied Baltheir/Fran and Vaan/Ashe. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this plot and (possibly) the first Lovestruck Man/Viera fic/oneshot EVER!

* * *

She'd first come to Rabanastre seeking a soul mate. She dearly hoped she'd find one, considering having had sixty-two _almost_ soul mates had gotten her feeling a tad depressed.

The first person she'd met was a young blond… shirtless boy. She'd spoken to him of her endless search before walking off, leaving the strange Hume to himself.

Imagine her surprise when he'd turned up in the Gambit shop- the place she ended up going to- as well. She'd begun to think that maybe, just maybe, this little blond Hume was her soul mate?

But no, the moment her thoughts led her in that direction, she sensed an obstacle, a big one. It appeared that someone else had feelings for the boy, or at least might have hidden and unrealized feelings. The sulking woman behind the boy was probably the best bet for that. The girl appeared to be very upset with the fact that the boy-she'd later learn his name was Vaan- was wasting time with what she obviously considered to be a trivial thing. She'd sighed before informing them all she was going to get a drink.

She was even more surprised when, completely out of the blue and unexpected, he turned up yet again, unhappy woman still in tow.

Once again, she considered the possibility of him being her soul mate, but decided that it just couldn't be him. He was already spoken for, and she had a sinking suspicion that it was by the woman behind him, even though it was obvious neither of them had yet to realized their true feelings. Viera are very keen creatures, and can pick up the subtlest of things, which was the only reason she herself knew what they did not. Still, she was beginning to become desperate. Now that she'd seen love firsthand, she craved it even more. After all, she'd waited _years- _Or rather, decades, considering how old Viera lived up to be. She was still young, though.- to find a soul mate only to come up empty-handed once more. She knew she was leaving soon and so she desperately asked him if he knew of anyone who loved her. She wanted to be loved like that so much. The Hume boy surprised her by telling her he did, in fact, know a man who was very much in love with her.

Her heart had swelled at hearing the news she'd only dreamed of previously, and she rushed off to find this man, leaving behind one amused shirtless boy and one faintly amused, though mostly annoyed, woman. Her heart was pounding. Could this be it for her? Would her search finally come to an end? She really hoped so.

She'd found him right where the Hume boy said he'd be, standing next to the fountain, eying her nervously. She'd walked straight up to him.

"Are you the man who loves me?" He stuttered out a 'yes' and she surprised herself- and him- greatly by throwing her arms around him in a hug. Usually, Viera aren't very emotional, so doing something like this was highly unusual. Though Viera aren't really supposed to do things like want and search for a soul mate either, so she figures she must just be different from all the others. It appeared that she'd finally found her true soul mate, and she was ecstatic. Her search had finally come to an end.

"Thank you." He'd hesitantly wrapped his arms around her before relaxing and just giving in to the moment.

"I do love you, you know."

"I know. And I… I love you too." Truthfully, it was unheard of for Viera to fall in love. The only love they knew was that of the platonic kind they shared with their sisters of the Wood. Still, she figured that finding a soul mate was basically the same thing as falling in love. Still, she couldn't help but find it odd: She loved him, and yet she barely even knew him. Hell, she didn't even know his name. The same went for him, she was sure.

As they couldn't stay wrapped in an embrace forever, he reluctantly pulled his arms back and she unwillingly stepped back. To her surprise, he fell back, too. His back hit the side of the fountain, but he didn't seem to care. He just sat there, staring at her, amazement in his eyes. She took a step toward him.

"Are you alright?" He nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I'm just… well, I just can't believe you love me too. Nothing this good has ever happened to me, you know. I… I've gotta thank that guy Vaan for this…" She cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Vaan? Do you mean… the little Hume boy?" He stood up as she walked over and sat on the fountain beside him.

"Err, yeah. That's the one." She smiled.

"He's coming this way."

Sure enough, the boy with no shirt was heading this way, with the woman he'd been with all day _still_ following. Once the two had reached them, the boy grinned.

"So, is everything alright?" The Viera had smiled.

"Even better, actually. He is my soul mate. And because of that, I won't be traveling anymore. Here, you two can take all my equipment and such as I won't be needing it anymore. Think of it as thanks for helping us to find love." The woman looked between the two with narrow eyes before opening her mouth to speak. The boy cut her off immediately, though.

"Cool! I hope you two are happy together!" The boy promptly grabbed the woman by the arm and dragged her off before she could say whatever it was she wanted to say. The Viera watched them go, confused.

"Humes are odd." He smiled at her.

"Am I odd?" She smiled shyly back.

"Not all Humes are odd, I suppose. You are just perfect." His smile softened as he looked at her in confusion.

"Why would you love me so easily, though? I've a bad habit, really. I have the worst tendency to fall in love with every pretty girl I see, but what reason would _you_ have to be so accepting of me?"

"I suppose it would be because you must be the man I've been looking for all these years. I've searched desperately for a soul mate- for _love_- so long, that finally finding you, it just... Well, I just know. This feeling in my heart, this _warm glow_, it makes me realize: _This_ is love. This is what it feels like to love and be loved in return, and it feels so... exhilarating. It's what I've been searching for, and finally I've found it. Finally, I've found you."

The two had spent weeks together after that. They took it slow and went out on dates like a normal couple. They slowly learned more and more about each other. From the first day they'd met and proclaimed to love each other, they began to _truly_ fall in love. All doubts of him just being the sixty-third _almost_ soul mate faded from her mind. Two months after their initial meeting, she decided to ask something that'd been on her mind for a while now.

"What made you love _me_? Why would you love a Viera?" He smiled softly and lovingly at her. They were sitting on the same fountain as the one they'd met by. A while back, they'd declared it _their_ spot. His eyes were full of memories of his past, memories she longed for him to share with her.

"You're not the first I've loved, you know. In fact, I've fallen in love so many times and with so many women, I've lost count. As I told you when we first met, I have a bad habit of falling in love to easy. It happens to me all the time, I suppose. It's always a case of love at first sight. You may have returned my feelings, but all the others... they rejected me. It hurt, but I always managed to move on.

"One day, I'd been sitting here, in this exact spot, wondering why I couldn't find love when I saw something that caught my eye. It was a Viera walking along with a rather dashing fellow, smiling and chatting easily. The two were obviously very close, and nothing would keep them apart. Just seeing how happy the two were had made me realize that I could love a Viera, too. About a month later, I saw you walk by and fell for you immediately. Then, I got that kid Vaan to help out and tell you how I felt. I know of a lot of people who don't believe in love at first sight, and it may have gotten me hurt a lot by other women, but it's why I'm still here today, with you. Love, of _any_ kind, is powerful, and this, our relationship, just proves it!"

She smiled at his tale, knowing just how much he truly loved her. Still, she couldn't help but wonder…

"Do you think that… maybe one day we could be like the couple you saw? So happy and close to each other?" He gazed at her, passion burning in his eyes.

"I think…" He leaned in slightly. "…That we're already like that." He closed the rest of the distance between them and kissed her, to which she eagerly returned.

And to think, all this happened just because some shirtless boy had set them up.

* * *

AN-So? What'd you all think? This was written in like half an hour so I hope it's okay. I love the last line. Blue3, as this is for you, I expect a review. Tell me what you think! As for the rest of ya, you can all review if you want. I hope you do…


End file.
